Is your Business Purposeful?

Purpose is an important part of any business, and can be thought of as the reason that a company exists or does what it does. It's a quality that can set apart great businesses from average ones. It requires us as leaders within our organization to make decisions based on values rather than profits alone. By developing your company’s purpose, you can focus on its core competencies and keep it relevant in an ever-changing world. Here are some key concepts to consider when incorporating purpose into your business:

To inspire employees, partners, and customers - especially today, your business must have a purpose that goes beyond maximizing profits. A purposeful business is a company that not only creates wealth but also builds value for society and drives positive change. In order to do this, you must have a clear sense of your company's purpose. Is it to make money? Create value for society? Both? Neither? If a company makes products that people need or want—but also contributes positively to their community and environment—that business may be able to make a profit while also benefiting society at large.

In his 2009 TEDx Talk, author and leadership consultant Simon Sinek introduced The Golden Circle—a model for how leaders inspire action. Simon proposed that there are three layers to your business story: (1) the what, (2) the how, and (3) the why. Simon maintained that we often focus on the how and what of our work, but not enough on why we're doing it. Watch his inspiring talk below:

For us as voice actors, because our voice is such a personal product of ourselves, not focusing on our why can really affect our performance, and thus, our product!

When you establish your own unique purpose, it sets the tone for how others perceive and expect to be served by you. Without it, you may struggle to build a strong foundation for growth and success. A clear purpose inspires people who work with you and those who interact with your business to align their actions with your mission, helping them understand why they should care about what you do. Purposeful businesses go beyond just having a good idea and add value by connecting customers with products that make their lives better. (i.e. Do you care about providing quality and intentional business products that can serve your client and their customers?)

To help define your purpose as an entrepreneur, ask yourself some questions: What is my WHY? What initially inspired me to get into voiceover? What does my company stand for? How does it differ from other companies in its category or industry? Is there a specific cause my business supports? What unique value can I provide for customers or for my community and industry?

When we work hard for something we don’t believe in, it’s called stress. When we work hard for something we love, it’s called passion. - Simon Sinek

For example, your purpose might be to help create positive change by voicing jobs and campaigns that are meaningful and helpful to society. We are not just talking about political voiceover here - it can include any philosophy, content, and/or genre that you are passionate about. For example, you can choose to stand for inclusivity and diversity in casting. You can pass on opportunities to others. You can choose to believe in rightful licensing, usage, and protection for your voice. Diving deep and spending some time on your Why can really help to center and refocus your business for success!

With some soul searching, I was able to carve out and execute, the elements of my business where I felt I could truly make a difference. This helps motivate and inspire me to want to grow and continue to make a difference with my products and services. You can do the same. For me, it is meaningful and purposeful to my business that I choose, and am passionate about, Medical and eLearning genres. When I voice the back of a pharmaceutical label, I compassionately and intentionally think about my listener and how I may be helping them make sure they take the correct dosage and give them information about possible side effects. I am proud to be a voice that helps others through motivation and education. It is meaningful and purposeful that I bring the best education I can to my coaching clients, as well as share valuable knowledge with other voice artists through my weekly VO BOSS podcast and monthly VO Peeps workouts. I genuinely want to help my students and clients to succeed.

If you want people to support your cause, it is important that your purpose be inspiring. It should also be ethical, so you don't lose the trust of your customers when they learn about your mission more deeply. It's more than just being a good person; it's about inspiring people to take a right and ethical approach toward doing business. This is how you can create an exceptional brand experience.

One of the main missions behind my VO BOSS podcast was to better acquaint potential clients in the voiceover industry with who I am and what I stand for, as well as help educate people about the business of voice acting. Most recently, my Voice and AI series tackled the controversial topic of AI and synthetic voice. The episodes aim to have timely, informative, and meaningful discussions on ethics and fairness with top players in both the AI and voiceover industry. The ultimate result is a community resource that allows users to become educated so that they can make more, and better-informed decisions, on how to run their businesses in an ever-changing industry.

People want to work with companies that are making a difference and have clear values.

You will discover that when your business is driven by its purpose, it becomes easier to serve your clients because you have a clear sense of why you are doing what you're doing. Not only does this create a culture of trust and loyalty, but it also makes attracting the right clients to your business easier. People want to work with companies that are making a difference and have clear values. Customers love businesses that have an authentic reason for existing in addition to offering products or services that solve their problems or meet their needs. This is how businesses grow faster than ever before: when they put their hearts into what they're doing!

Your business is a reflection of who you are and what matters to you, so why not be purposeful? By creating a mission statement that aligns with your core values and vision, you can build a powerful brand identity. Purposeful businesses are more successful than other companies, earn more trust from customers, inspire people with a sense of rightness and ethical behavior in business, and have higher employee loyalty.

This week, why not take the time to reflect upon what is most important to you as an individual or entrepreneur? Then use that insight to create a company identity that reflects your values and beliefs in the world around you. I'd love to hear your Business Purpose - tell us in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Keep on rocking your business like a #VOBOSS

Let's have a fun and fabulous workout getting down and dirty with detailed commercial direction and individual feedback on your delivery from start to finish. We will focus on getting focused and conquering your fears and ultimately offering a bold and incisive delivery from the origins of breath, to vocalics and speech clarity, to character development and nailing the "real" in your read...let's go!

Agent Workout with Lau Lapides of MCVO

DECEMBER 7

Often, there is morality involved with the decision to lend your voice to a person or company. In making these difficult choices, it is essential to keep your brand & personal integrity aligned with the jobs you take. Anne & Erikka consider the moral weight of accepting jobs + building the confidence to say no to work that doesn't align with your values…

More at VOBOSS.com

About Anne:

Anne Ganguzza is a professional voice actor and award-winning director and producer who works with students to develop their voiceover and business skills - including voice over Coaching and Genre-based Demo Production. She specializes in conversational Commercial & Narration styles, including Corporate, eLearning, Technology, and On-Hold Messaging. Located in Orange County, California, Anne offers private coaching and mentoring services to students via ipDTL and Zoom.

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